The German striker has his hand up, but TFC are shooting themselves in the foot defensively

Owusu was in the right place to make it 2-2 in the 78th minute, turning in Yahkiele Marshall-Rutti's deflected cross after a marauding run from Bernardeschi.

“I don't think much when I'm in front of the goal. I will,” Owusu said when he was introduced in Toronto last summer. “I don't get stressed easily. I think it's part of my personality. Because if you're a striker, you have to have (a) a cool, calm mind in every situation. Because as a striker, you can score at any time, at any second.”

Toronto (3-4-1) desperately needs such clinical finishing. Heading into the weekend, Charlotte scored six goals in its first seven games and ranked 25th in offense.

Toronto coach John Herdman liked what he saw from Owusu on and off the court.

“He's been a great professional the last three or four weeks because we've given different players a chance,” Herdman said. “He certainly took his chance.”

While Herdman applauded Owusu and his team's decision to bounce back twice, he lamented his “moments of self-destruction.” Owusu's goals were canceled out when TFC missed the winner in the 85th minute.

Criminal, soul-destroying, mindless, unprofessional, disappointing and careless were some of the words Herdman used after the game.

“This is where we are,” he said. “As a manager, there are things you can coach, there are things you can organize … but there are things that this team will need time to understand, to learn. And we have to go through these difficult moments.”

All of Charlotte's goals were tough to watch in Toronto camp.

The first came from a failed clearance, the second from a gift from midfielder Alonso Coello.

The third saw Toronto go to sleep after clearing a corner. The ball went to an unmarked Brecht Dejager in acres of space on the right flank. Under no pressure, the Belgian midfielder fired in a low cross that was tapped in by six-foot-four substitute Patrick Agyemang after displacing two defenders in front of goal.

After opening the season with three shutouts, Toronto has conceded 10 goals in its last three games, losing 3-1 at Sporting Kansas City and 4-0 at Vancouver before Saturday.

Toronto has been outscored 10-3 during the slide despite leading the opposition in XG (expected goals) per game by 4.6 to 3.5.

TFC has outscored opponents 42-28 (22-9 in field goals) while outscoring opponents (33-21) in the three-game stretch.

His feel-good 2-0-1 start has been replaced by a sense of deja vu in a 1-4-0 run. Injuries didn't help with TFC missing six players on Saturday, including Insigne and Richie Laria.

With the main transfer window closing on April 23, Herdman says the club “have the money” for forward help.

“We can't band-aid this and just panic and buy,” Herdman said. “I want to be patient and see what happens in the summer (transfer) window.”

If the league were to consider changing the roster rules, there might be an advantage to keeping him.

Owusu said the latest loss had left the team “disappointed, angry and sad”.

“But that's part of the game. Football can be really beautiful. Also really hard and difficult. I think we deserved a point today. Charlotte punished us … they used their pace. We had (some) momentum before. But we didn't use it. If you don't use it on the field, especially in the Charlotte game, you're going to be punished.”

Charlotte (3-3-2) improved to 3-0-1 at Bank of America Stadium this season.

Owusu, a big target at six-foot-three, leads the team with three goals in eight games this season (four starts).

“I was pleased with his threat in the box,” Herdman said. “I thought tonight he was in the right space at the right time and showed a different desire to score.

“A real big step for him.”

In addition to Owusu and Kerr, Toronto has Canadians Ayo Akinola and Jordan Perrutza and South African Cassius Mailula attacking.

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 14, 2024.

Follow @NeilMDavidson on Platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Neil Davidson, Canadian Press

Toronto FC forward Prince Owusu in Cincinnati, Sunday, February 25, 2024. CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Jeff Dean

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